Neophytos of Morfou

The Most Reverend Metropolitan Neophytos (Masouras) of Morfou is the Bishop of Morfou of the Church of Cyprus. The metropolis is located to the Turkish northern part of the island of Cyprus.

Life

Metr. Neophytos was born on January 21, 1962 in the village of Ano Zodhia. After completing his elementary education and the first three years of school at the C' Gymnasium at Morphou, he was forced to move to the B' Gymnasium at Acropolis in Nicosia to finish his pre-college education due to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces. He graduated in 1979.

After finishing his education in Cyprus Neophytos entered the Law Faculty of the University of Athens in Greece, graduating in 1985. He remained in Greece after his graduation and was able to get acquainted with the new generation of the Orthodox Church in Greece, including Fr. Iacovos Tsalikis. Fr. Iacovos, Neophytos' confessor, inspired him to undertake monastic ideals. Under Fr. Iacovos' guidance, Neophytos returned to Cyprus in 1987 where he joined Ayios Georgios Kontas Monastery in Larnaca as a lay-brother.

While at the monastery, he was tonsured a monk and was ordained a deacon on December 27, 1987 by Metr. Chrysostomos of Kition. From 1990 to 1993, he was a member of the Ecclesiastical Court of the Kition Bishopric. In 1988, he entered the Theological Faculty of the University of the Athens from which he graduated in 1993. On December 19, 1993, Dn. Neophytos was ordained a priest and raised to the dignity of archimandrite by Metr. Chrysostomos. From 1996 to 1998, Archim. Neophytos served as a member of the Thronal Council of the Kition Bishopric.

In July 1994, Archim. Neophytos joined with Archim. Symeon to re-establish the Ayios Georgios of Mavronouni Monastery.

On August 22,1998, Archim. Neophytos was elected Bishop of Morphou by an assembly of clergy and people. He was consecrated and enthronedbishop on September 1998 at the temporary residence of the Morphou Bishopric in Evrychou, which is outside the Turkish area.